Aleya entered the classroom with her heart in her throat. “My only mission,” she thought, “is to stay unnoticed. Three months, just three months. Then, goodbye engagement, goodbye Nathaniel, and hello, my old life.” But even as she repeated those words to herself, she knew it wouldn’t be that simple.
The classroom carried the typical smell of aged wood and old books. The seats were arranged in sloped rows, and at the back of the room, the dynamic trio—Cassian, Axel, and Lucien—had already taken the last spots, laughing among themselves. Aleya let out a sigh of frustration. “Of course, they’re here. My luck couldn’t get any worse.”
It seemed fate was determined to ensure she couldn’t escape them. Not only did they share a room, but now they would also be together in four key subjects: Advanced Hunting, Prey and Territory Studies, Enemy Tracking, and Animal Anatomy. Four periods, twice a week. More than Aleya would have wished for in an entire lifetime.
At the center of the classroom, Professor Gertrude was settling behind the desk. A plump woman with cherry-like cheeks and a shrill voice that bounced off the walls. Seeing her, Aleya couldn’t help but think she was the kind of teacher who could make any student wish they were somewhere else.
“Silence, class! Silence!” Gertrude shrieked, softly tapping the desk with a ruler. “We have a new student in the room. Mr. Silverfang, correct?”
Aleya nodded stiffly, feeling the stares bore into her. “This cannot be happening,” she thought as the professor continued.
“Introduce yourself, young man! Tell the class something about yourself.”
Aleya swallowed hard and stood up slowly. She knew any mistake could expose her, so she kept her voice firm and deep, just as she had practiced.
“I’m Aleron Silverfang. I’m from the north and…” she began, but was interrupted by a loud noise.
Pffffffft.
One of the boys, probably an idiot, imitated the sound of flatulence with his armpit. Laughter spread across the room, and Aleya felt her face flush with heat. She tried to ignore it, but Luna, from the back of her mind, wouldn’t let it slide.
“Seriously?! Flatulence? How old are these guys, five?”
Aleya continued as if nothing had happened, but the nervousness had crept into her tone. “Uh… I’m excited to be here and… I hope to learn a lot.” She ended quickly, sitting down before anyone else could add a comment.
“What idiots,” she thought, avoiding the mocking stares.
As she sank into her seat, she felt a hand gently touch her arm. She looked up to see a boy with kind eyes and brown hair, motioning to an empty spot near the window.
“You can sit there,” he said quietly, smiling. Aleya nodded gratefully and moved to the seat. Luna chimed in again, her tone surprised.
“Well, at least someone here isn’t a complete idiot. Who is this guy? Our first ally?”
Aleya chose not to respond. She was still too busy dealing with the disaster of her introduction and the echoes of laughter in the room. As Gertrude began the lesson, Aleya had only one clear thought in her mind:
“This is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
The words of Professor Gertrude turned into a distant echo for Aleya. “Not just boring, insufferable,” she thought as her mind wandered. The minutes dragged by slowly, and every word about animal anatomy sounded like indistinct murmurs.
“This is torture,” she thought, resting her chin on her hand. “At Luna Academy, the professors at least tried to make classes interesting. Games, debates, and even team challenges. Here, it seems like all they know how to do is talk and talk.”
Luna, as always, added her commentary. “That’s what happens when you’re surrounded by alpha males. They specialize in muscles, not creativity.”
“I miss Luna Academy,” Aleya continued in her mind, ignoring her wolf’s sarcasm. “It’s not even that far, just a few hectares away, but it feels like another world. It was my refuge, a completely different ecosystem. And I miss Silvy…”
The thought of her best friend hit her like a wave of nostalgia. She knew Silvy must be worried, wondering why Aleya had disappeared without an explanation. But Samuel, always so protective, had confiscated her phone, replacing it with a disposable one that was barely good for calls and texts. It felt like being disconnected from her life.
“Silvy must be going crazy,” she thought, feeling a lump in her throat. “And here I am, pretending to be someone I’m not.”
A snap in front of her face pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Aleron? Hello! Are you with me?” asked a male voice.
Aleya blinked, realizing a boy was standing in front of her, smiling kindly. It was Max Whitaker, with light brown hair and a calm expression.
“Sorry,” she said, trying to pull herself together. “I was distracted.”
“No problem,” Max replied casually. “I’m Max Whitaker, the class delegate. I thought it’d be nice to introduce myself and offer some help since you’re new.”
Aleya immediately understood why Max was so kind. As a delegate, he probably felt it was his duty to make new students feel welcome.
“Thank you,” she replied, forcing a smile. “That would be great.”
“Want me to show you the cafeteria? It’s almost lunchtime,” Max offered.
Aleya nodded, and as she looked around, she realized everyone had left the classroom while she was lost in her thoughts. “What a great way to stay unnoticed,” she thought, feeling a slight blush on her cheeks.
The dining hall was impressive, with high ceilings and rows of perfectly aligned tables. Aleya was surprised by the variety of food at the buffet: meats, salads, stews, and desserts. “Well, at least they don’t skimp on food,” she thought, as she filled her tray with a little bit of everything.
Max guided her to an empty table in the corner, but Aleya decided to sit at a more central one, thinking she’d be calmer there. She had barely taken a couple of bites when a shadow fell across her table.
“Well, well,” said a familiar voice. It was Cassian, with his mocking smile. “Look who we have here. Our little unwanted tenant.”
Axel joined him, crossing his arms with a fake expression of surprise. “That’s right. Crawling around like a cockroach. What are you doing in our spot, buddy?”
Aleya looked up, irritated. “It’s an empty table. I sat here because it was empty.”
“Empty, sure,” Lucien responded, his tone cold and calm. He had a chopstick between his lips, his posture relaxed yet intimidating. “What’s wrong with the newbie? Are they slow or something?”
Aleya felt her blood boil, but Lucien continued before she could respond. “Look around you. People everywhere, every table occupied. Do you really think a table right in the center of the dining hall would be empty just because? This spot has an owner.”
“Arrogant idiots,” Aleya thought, trying to keep her composure. Her hands gripped the edges of her tray, and Luna, always the instigator, chimed in.
“Come on, let me handle this. A quick bite to their precious neck, and problem solved.”
“Not now, Luna,” Aleya replied mentally, forcing herself to take a deep breath. She knew she couldn’t afford a direct confrontation, but that didn’t mean she would let them win.
“Sorry,” she finally said, standing up with her tray in hand. “I didn’t realize this table had a sign that said ‘Reserved for Idiots.’”
Cassian burst out laughing, but Axel frowned, while Lucien, unbothered, stared at her with eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. Aleya walked away toward a corner of the dining hall, her head held high and her pride intact, though inside, she felt like she had been crushed.
